Review: Peavey VB-MA Head & MA-410 Cabinet

When we reviewed Peavey’s game-changing VB-3 head
in the September ’09 issue of Bass Player, we were pretty bowled over by that
amp’s ability to deliver 300 watts in an all-tube unit weighing just 37 pounds.
Achieving much of its weight loss by opting for a switchmode power supply
(which requires a much smaller/lighter power supply transformer), Peavey
cut the weight of the typical 300-watt tube head by half. While most tube
bass heads employ a straightforward 2- or 3-band tone stack (think Ampeg,
Fender) Peavey embraced a “more is more” mentality with the VB-3, stuffing
it with a 3-band EQ with switchable midrange, nine bands of graphic EQ, and
resonance and presence controls. It also loaded the VB-3 with an overdrive
channel that was harmonically rich and dynamic. In short, it was a pretty big
leap forward in the otherwise old-school world of tube amps.

We weren’t the only ones to take notice of the VB-3; Michael Anthony came
to rely on his VB-3 rig for toothy tone and arena-filling oomph while touring
the world with Chickenfoot in 2009. By working with Peavey to make some
thoughtful tweaks to the amp—the ability to blend channels chief among
them—and spicing it up with chili-pepper flair, Anthony has cooked up his
own signature amp in the VB-MA.

Like the VB-3, the VB-MA looks like it would require the hire of some extra
muscle to lug around. But with its reduced weight and industrial-strength top-mounted
handles, the head is actually easy to transport. Coated in Peavey’s
GatorHyde polyurethane, the VB-MA and matching MA-410 speaker cabinet
have the gritty appearance of sandpaper, but the surface feels less scratchy than it looks, and is not at all
unpleasant. From its rubber feet to its metal-reinforced corners and recessed control panel, the VB-MA
is built to survive the rigors of the road with little worry of cosmetic damage. Given the ruggedness of
all other components, I was underwhelmed by the VB-MA’s front-panel knobs and sliders, which felt
downright dainty on such an otherwise sturdy brute. The head’s most prominent feature is its backlit
red acrylic glass faceplate. At its brightest, the accent light makes a pretty bold statement; fortunately,
a dimmer knob around back allows you to lower the lumens from scorching to simmer, should you want
to dial things down. One final note on ergonomics: with 300 watts of power under the hood, the VB-MA
is built to handle big venues and big cabinets. While the front-panel controls are easy to read at eye level
(like atop an 8x10), the recessed front panel is obscured by the amp housing’s overhang when viewed
from above (as on a MA-410 cabinet).

At its core, the VB-MA retains most of the guts that gave the VB-3 its
glory; plugging in, it didn’t take long to dial up the juicy tones we dug in the
VB-3. As with so many crucial pieces of gear, it’s often the little things that
bring the most comfort and joy—a bright blue blinking mute indicator light,
a single input jack with a –15dB pad switch, and an intuitive front-panel and
a full-featured back panel all trigger a “right on”
response. As we weren’t so smitten by the VB-3’s
onboard compressor, the VB-MA’s swapping that
bit of front-panel real estate with crucial blend and
tone controls elicits a “right on, right ON!” Predictably,
the blend control combines the VB-MA’s
clean and dirty channels. Combined with the three
bands of passive eq, the 9-band graphic eq, resonance
and presence controls, and the almost-absurdly
named tone control (which sweeps from
dark, creamy smooth to aggressive, fizzy grit),
it’s easy to get lost down a wormhole of delicious
sounds with the VB-MA.